September/Marquez Book: 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'

[Scheherazade]

We are reading One Hundred Years of Solitude by Marquez in September.

Please post your thoughts and questions on the book in this thread.

Book Club Procedures

[Erna]

I'm approx. halfway, and like the book. Not that I think it's terrific, but it's worth to be read. I think it's a little boring, the same things are happening over again.

But I really like the absurd things happening sometimes, out of the blue, that makes the read funny.

And am I the only or are there more people mixing up the names of the family members and look back at the pedrigree at the beginning of the book?

[bazarov]

And am I the only or are there more people mixing up the names of the family members and look back at the pedrigree at the beginning of the book?

Maybe too many of Jose Aureliano Buendia and Jose Arcadio Buendia...Sometimes you're not sure who is father and who is son..

[papayahed]

Maybe too many of Jose Aureliano Buendia and Jose Arcadio Buendia...Sometimes you're not sure who is father and who is son..

I'm wondering why the Author chose such similar names?? That's my biggest problem so far.

I've read this book previously. As I'm rereading I keep confusing this book and "Like Water for Chocolate".

[Nightshade]

I didnt like love in time of cholera but Ive been reading and not taking part for a while so Ive ordered it and we'll see.

[Shakira]

The absurd things that happen in the book as well as the repititive names of the characters are an important feature of Marquez's Postmodern writing. Marquez was against the conservative techniques of the Modernist writers. His "absurd" incidents or the Magic Realism are the heart & soul of this book.

Also in the family tree did anyone notice that inspite of Jose Arcadio being the eldest son, his name appears after Colonel Aureliano Buendia's name. This Marquez has done to play on the reader's psychie.

If I'm wrong then please anyone correct me regarding this.

[Taliesin]

We think that there is a reason to why there are seven charaters with the same name - we think that the author wanted the readers to mix them up. They are similar in their actions too, don't you think. Both Aureliano and Arcadia are kind of archetypic figures, don't you think?

[Boris239]

Marquez repeats the names to show how the whole village is separated from the real life and how all events will be repeated. After all the affair of the last of Buendias with his aunt, reminds us of what has already happened before.

[Erna]

The absurd things that happen in the book as well as the repititive names of the characters are an important feature of Marquez's Postmodern writing. Marquez was against the conservative techniques of the Modernist writers. His "absurd" incidents or the Magic Realism are the heart & soul of this book.

That's the part I like the most, the Magic Realism, the unexpected...

Also in the family tree did anyone notice that inspite of Jose Arcadio being the eldest son, his name appears after Colonel Aureliano Buendia's name. This Marquez has done to play on the reader's psychie.

I saw that, but thought it was just me, and didn't really think about a possible reason. As he wanted me to be confused, it worked out

[Scheherazade]

Started reading this one today. Another unforgettable openning from Marquez:

Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.

Like in Love In Time of Cholera, the book starts in such a way that you cannot put it aside. I have only read two chapters so far but my belief in the strength of his story telling techniques is ascertained already. However, hope this story will be able to prove more worthy than the Cholera.

[Idril]

I just started this on wednesday and it's very different from what I was expecting, it's incredibly bizarre, but bizarre in a good way, in a magical way. It is hard to put down once you started, I started it thinking I would just read until Schokokeks got her copy of Setting Free the Bears but I'm almost half done with Solitude now and I just can't possibly imagine how this is all going to end so I think I'm going to do something I never do, read two books at the same time.

[Scheherazade]

That is the beauty of Marquez books, I think. Even though they are translated, one can feel his power over the language; he is such an amazing story teller. I really wish I could read his books in original as well; they must be even more beautiful.

[Idril]

I really wish I could read his books in original as well; they must be even more beautiful.

I'm sure they would be but even in translation, the pictures he paints are so lyrical and powerful, so stark and yet so full, if that makes any sense.

[superunknown]

I read it in Spanish about a year ago. It's a great book and one of the pinnacles of Latin American literature. (which, by the way, is REALLY worth exploring if you liked this book: there's Garcia Marquez, and there's also Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortazar, Mario Vargas Llosa, Ernesto Sabato, Carlos Fuentes...) The end is fantastic (in both senses of the world).

[Erna]

I finished the book a couple of days ago. I really liked the book, well-written and whenever it starts to get boring, Garcia Marquez brings in something unexpected. That's what I liked the best.

The hardest part for me was the beginning, when not knowing where the slow story was going to. But maybe that's just me and having a busy time...

I really liked the end of the book!